1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for making envelopes from ordinary size, readily available, sheets of writing paper. In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus can be combined with or incorporated into a printer for printing on the paper prior to its being made into an envelope.
2. Description of Background and Relevant Information
Most offices today are computerized, with typing done on a computer, such as a word-processor, linked to a printer. This considerably speeds-up the output of the office. However, a bottleneck frequently occurs at the stage of preparing the envelope for sending out material, such as the mailing of a printed letter. Most printers are not built to accept the infeed of envelopes for printing thereof, and it becomes necessary to revert to the typewriter for addressing the envelope. In the event that more than a few letters must be sent, the addressing of the envelopes can take a considerable amount of time.
Presently, there are several ways in which this problem can be overcome. These include the use of: (1) address labels; (2) envelopes with transparent windows; and (3) special mechanisms for feeding envelopes into the printer.
All of these methods are expensive and/or time-consuming. A way is therefore needed to simplify the preparation of printed envelopes and to integrate their addressing into the computerized processes of the modern office in a simple and inexpensive manner.